Chilly fall days are perfect for sampling new teas. Today I brewed a pot of Kabuki Green Tea from Japan which is a green tea with cherry blossoms. I brewed this green tea using a glass teapot and an infuser. The water was just under boiling (175 degrees F) and I allowed the first pot of tea to steep for two minutes.  The brewed tea was pale green almost yellow in color and the aroma of the tea was wonderful; it had a light cherry scent. 

Green teas often have a vegetable or grassy taste and I prepared my palate for a typical green. I was very much surprised by the sweet flavor of the cherry blossoms. The grassy flavor that is typical of many green teas was extremely subtle.  Since I more often drink black tea that has a stronger flavor I decided to brew a second pot and let it steep longer.

Kabuki Green Tea

I let the second pot of tea steep for about three and a half minutes. The color this time was a bit darker and the scent was a little stronger. I much preferred the second brew as it had a a stronger tea flavor. My daughter who also sampled both pots of tea, preferred the first batch.  She was struck by the sweetness of the tea and suggested we make some iced tea.

We took the leftover tea and allowed it to cool completely. We then poured in a tall glass of ice. The iced tea we made was amazing. It needed no sweetener, it was perfect. My daughter and I have decided that Kabuki green tea will definitely be made next summer.

My suggestion is that when you brew this tea for the first time you follow the instructions. If you’re like me, then the second time you can experiment with a longer seeping time.  If you have any brew left over try pouring the cooled tea over ice.

With summer fast approaching it’s time to start thinking about iced tea. Iced tea is no longer only tea with lemon flavoring. Many variations are possible. As we mentioned in How to Make Iced Tea freshly brewed iced tea is better than store bought. Iced tea with sparkling water is easy to make at home or in the office.

This sparkling raspberry iced tea recipe is a refreshing change of pace on a hot summer day. Use freshly brewed tea which has cooled to room temp or is chilled. As with most iced teas, it is best to use only chilled ingredients to prevent excessive dilution when pouring over ice. This raspberry tea recipe uses sparkling water. Since the ingredients are in proportion, our sparkling raspberry iced tea recipe can easily be doubled or halved.

Ingredients for Sparkling Raspberry Ice Tea

• 2 cups chilled sparkling water
• 2 cups chilled raspberry juice
• 2 cups of freshly brewed tea (room temp or chilled)

In large pitcher mix all ingredients. Pour into glasses filled with ice. If desired you can garnish with slice of lime or lemon, a raspberry or sprig of fresh mint.

Iced tea is a refreshing drink any time of the year. With our basic iced tea recipe it is easy to brew quality iced tea. Iced tea brewed fresh at home has a far superior taste to bottled iced tea. We did a little research to find the origins and history of iced tea and were surprised to find that it most likely began right here in the United States. According to the Joy of Cooking by Rombauer & Becker, iced tea was first served during the Saint Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Due to sweltering temperatures, hot beverage sales were very bad. A gentleman by the name of Richard Blechynden had a tea concession in which he had invested a lot of time and money. Desperate for sales he began to offer iced tea to the public. It quickly caught on and sales were brisk. Iced tea has since become the beverage of choice during hot summer months as well as year round.

Iced tea is simple and fast to make at home. As with all tea it is best when brewed fresh at home. For variety add a strawberry, lemon or orange slice or sprig of mint. Follow the same general brewing guidelines as for brewing hot tea. In general the only difference will be in the strength of tea brewed. When brewing tea for use as iced tea you will generally want to make it double the strength of hot tea to allow for dilution when served over ice cubes. Remember use clean equipment and start with fresh good tasting water. Review additional brewing tips at How to Brew Tea. Below is our simple recipe which can easily be adjusted to make more.

Basic Iced Tea Recipe

• 2 teaspoons loose tea or 2 teabags per cup of boiling water
• boiling water
• Optional – one of the following – sprigs of fresh mint; lemon slice; orange slice or strawberry
• Optional – sugar to taste

Boil desired amount of water. Add boiling water to your tea and let steep (about 5 minutes for black teas or 3 minutes for green teas). Strain and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into glass filled with ice. Add sprig of mint, a strawberry or slice of lemon or orange. Sweeten with sugar to taste.

As a general guideline for one quart of boiling water you will need 6-8 teaspoons of tea or 6-8 teabags. We suggest starting with 7 and if desired, increase or decrease amount of tea in the next brew. If the resulting brew is too strong, simply dilute with a little fresh water. We prefer using loose tea but quality tea bags will also yield a quality iced tea. Some tea companies will have tea blends specifically created for iced tea.